Cars, property, and more: Dana White reveals Vladimir Putin’s multi-million dollar gifts to Khabib Nurmagomedov post UFC 229 victory
Dana White recently revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Khabib Nurmagomedov and his family with expensive gifts after his UFC 229 triumph over Conor McGregor in October 2018.
Khabib and McGregor were engaged in a fierce competitive rivalry that culminated in one of the biggest prizefighting events in combat sports history. At UFC 229, the Russian fighter defeated McGregor via fourth-round submission to defend his UFC lightweight title.
Unfortunately, a post-fight brawl between Khabib and McGregor’s teammates took the sheen away from his victory. Both fighters were hit with suspension and fine by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
But amid the post-fight chaos, Khabib’s efforts were duly noted by President Putin, who presented several expensive gifts to the then-champion.
During a recent appearance on the Games with Names podcast, White revealed:
“Khabib didn’t even make it back to his dressing room after the fight, and Putin was on the phone. Putin gave him and his father, like, $20 million worth of property in Russia. Then he went into the Muslim territories where these guys like are like cars, money, gyms, whatever he wanted.”
Listen to White’s comments HERE (35:40).
Khabib returned to the octagon after his suspension ended and defended the title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. He retired from competition in October 2020 following a win over Justin Gaethje because of his father’s untimely demise.
When Conor McGregor was instructed to remove his hand from Vladimir Putin’s shoulder
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has risen to the status of a global superstar. ‘The Notorious’ has interacted with distinguished individuals from all walks of life, including Vladimir Putin.
In 2018, the Russian president invited Mcgregor to attend the FIFA World Cup final that took place in Moscow, Russia. The Irishman met President Putin during his visit to the Russian capital.
The video of their interaction went viral on the internet as the duo seemed to enjoy each other’s company and exchanged pleasantries. However, an awkward moment from the meeting drew people’s attention.
While posing for the photo-ops, McGregor put his hand around the Russian president’s shoulder. He was then promptly warned by the security personnel to remove his hand.
Watch the video below: